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Category: Social Justice

by Maja Staka When Nasra Adem performs, you can’t help but stop and listen. The 22 year old Edmonton Youth Poet Laureate isn’t just a passionate artist, she’s also relatable to a fault – bringing up issues that directly affect the people she loves and the neighborhoods that raised her. Once Nasra gets going, her eyes become wide, her feet get loud and her hands … Continue reading #Girlbossyeg: An invitation to Edmontonians to be Bold for Change

by Sareeta Lopez Back in September, the #MakeItAwkward campaign was born. If you don’t know what that is, here’s a description of what happened from the website: Jesse Lipscombe was the victim of a verbal racial attack in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, while he was shooting a PSA for the city downtown. The attack was caught on camera and the video quickly went viral. Jesse was hurt … Continue reading Proud of Edmonton’s Social Initiatives

by Sanaa Humayun Edmonton’s Women’s march left me with mixed feelings. I’ve tried to write this article a hundred times, I’ve procrastinated and made excuses, I’ve found myself absolutely incapable of coherently explaining this mix of pride and anger I feel in my heart. When I think of what’s happening, my heart pounds faster – my palms become sweaty and I realize, more than anything, … Continue reading Why I’m Angry About the Women’s March

by Sareeta Lopez Lately, I’ve felt I’m not really doing anything to support feminism and other important social justice causes. Most of what I do is online; sharing articles, writing my own, discussing ideas on Twitter and Facebook, and engaging in discussions in the comments of my blog. For obvious reasons, I avoid conflict in YouTube or Facebook comment sections. I’m not out picketing anything, defending a sacred place, or lobbying for changes in … Continue reading Why Online Activism is Important For Social Justice

by Sareeta Lopez I don’t know about you, but I often find I don’t know how to talk to relatives about social justice issues — not without coming across as either uninformed or arrogant. Though politics is one of the topics you generally want to avoid at the dinner table, it’s difficult to do. With the results of the American election at the forefront of everybody’s … Continue reading How To Talk To Your Relatives About Social Justice Issues

Many campaigns and initiatives, including International Women’s Day, celebrate women’s achievements throughout history and the progress of women’s rights advocacy. However, to be a feminist in our society still means having to face a plethora of societal judgments stemming from negative connotations associated with that word. This societal prejudice against feminists is mainly perpetuated by incoherent and uninformed arguments put forward by some, and rather than simply dismissing them, we must be diligent … Continue reading Why Are You Not a Feminist? | By Jimmy Kang

Today in Canada, a lot of people (read: white people) are gaining interest in race, politics, privilege, and intersectionality. A large part of this privilege-checking process is recognizing either a white identity’s inherent complicity and vowing to recognize that as an ally, or in dismantling one’s complex oppressions and finding possible arenas for resistance. A binary between white and non-white occurs because our power structures … Continue reading Our Canada: Reflections on Half-White Canadianism | By Bria Said

Those who celebrate Christmas know it as that just-over-a month-long period of frantic shopping and festive tunes everywhere you go. A time for family, and for feasts. Unfortunately, many others know it as a yearly burden, especially sexual and gender minorities: “What offensive thing will Grandma say this year? How do I answer my relatives’ pressing and invasive life questions? What should I avoid saying when … Continue reading The Aftermath of Coming Out | By Cosette Dubrule